


Cause I Caught Him Looking

by Scarecrowqueen



Series: Moments That Would Have Changed Everything [2]
Category: Jumper (2008)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Flirting, Griffin is a Brat, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-29
Updated: 2019-05-29
Packaged: 2020-03-27 16:14:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,091
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19016356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scarecrowqueen/pseuds/Scarecrowqueen
Summary: Griffin approaches David in that bar in London?





	Cause I Caught Him Looking

**Author's Note:**

> This installment was named for a line from the Switches song "Lay Down the Law" which was playing in the bar scene in the movie.
> 
> Hey folks, currently uploading a bunch of old writing from my Dreamwidth to the Archive here. This is old as shit so don’t judge the quality of my writing too hard please mmkay?

Griffin felt the jump more than he saw it, his body turning and eyes automatically searching out for the source of the disturbance; so small that most normal people didn't even notice. He'd picked the man out of the crowd in an instant; tall, attractive, and obviously charming if the swooning looks the blonde woman was shooting him were any indication. To anyone else's eyes there were just two people who'd met in a bar and were well on their way to getting lucky. Griffin knew better though.

Finding himself a convenient vantage point, he lurked in a nearby corner, nursing a beer for close to an hour. From his distance he couldn't tell what was being said, but he could make out the man's distinctive accent. American. Just bloody great. The more Griffin watched the smug, smarmy bastard, the angrier he felt himself getting. Bloody stupid American must've had a herd's worth of horseshoes up his arse to have survived this war unscathed for so long, as reckless as he was. Silently fuming and working himself into a right tizzy, Griffin watched and plotted exactly what he was going to say to the dimwit the moment he could get him alone. Of course, getting him alone was looking to be a nearly impossible prospect from the way the blonde was reacting to the American's so-called smooth moves and clichéd lines. It was vaguely nauseating, Griffin decided, watching the man's handsome face shift elegantly to express the utmost of concentration and sincerity. Again, Griffin knew better.

Jumpers like them defied the laws of physics, what did mortal laws and standards of decency mean to people like them? Jumpers were adroit manipulators and liars when they wanted to be, creating cover stories and twisting evidence and outright fabricating anything they required to stay hidden, to remain innocuous and keep the secret. The other man was a pro in ways Griffin had never truly mastered, being more fond of punching or stabbing his way to a solution than negotiating, or heaven forbid, charming one out of somebody. Just not his style, really. Watching the American however was akin to watching the snake seduce Eve. A little of Griffin's anger faded as a new plan began to take form. It would be risky, and could very well blow up in his face, but the possibilities could be… exquisite. If the American would agree, of course.

I must have been Griffin's lucky day, because with a tempting smile and a pat on the arm the Blonde slid away from the bar and made for the ladies room. Probably to freshen up for the inevitable act of sexual congress, if the self-satisfied grin on the American's face was any indication. That seemed to be Griffin's cue for the cock-block, and taking a deep breath he allowed his stance to adjust ever so slightly, shrouding himself in the type of confident poise he needed to pull this off just right. Striding with purpose from the shadows, he crossed the room, feeling the crowd unconsciously part before him. Griffin may not have been as slick as his target, but he knew a little bit about power and confidence, and the body language that came with it; that kind that was capable of clearing a room in seconds when properly applied.

The move that slid Griffin neatly up to the bar and into the blonde's unoccupied place at David's elbow was flawless, despite being several years out of use. Griffin noted the movement from the corner of his eye that indicated that he'd grabbed David's attention. Griffin's right hand hefted the mostly-empty beer bottle, and with a lovely motion he raised it to his lips, letting his head tilt back just so and his eyes to close, exposing the long line of his throat, the motion of swallowing apparent. Relaxing his posture just a touch allowed his leather jacket to settle perfectly about his torso, which showcased the spread of his shoulders to the narrowness of his waist. The motion also pushed his hips forward a bare inch, drawing the American's eyes straight down the whole length of his body to rest somewhere around his belt buckle, just below the edge of the bar.

It took all Griffin's self control to not grin wildly as he settled back into a more normal standing position, leaving the bottle on the counter with a nod to the barkeep. While Griffin may have looked as casual as could be, every sense he had was attuned to the response of the man next to him. Interestingly enough, the man who'd spent the whole night chatting up the hottest girl in the joint was now lending a critical eye towards Griffin, which was exactly what he was hoping for. Most people who may have eyed that move wouldn't have noticed what Griffin was really showing off, and what he'd counted on the American noticing. Which of course was the power Griffin had compacted into his slender frame, the subtle play of wiry muscles beneath his skin, the edge of a scar at his collar, and the pent up kinetic energy coiled within, ready to react in a moment to the slightest threat. Griffin had declared himself dangerous to anyone who knew what to look for, and someone as adept at beguiling as the American was would definitely know what to look for.

In fact he seemed unable to look away. Griffin stopped fighting the little satisfied smirk then, addressing the other man in a low tone with the barest tilt of his head, eyes focused somewhere past them both. On the surface he seemed nonchalant, but they both knew otherwise.

"Been watching you half the night, with that girl." As he spoke, Griffin shifted to face the other man, making the first obvious move on interest towards him all night, allowing his weight to rest on one elbow in the bar, hip leaning into the wood and entire posture at odds with his sharp gaze.

"Jealous?" The American's seemingly unassuming smile had a razor edge to it now, Griffin noted. Excellent, he'd caught on to the game; they could play for keeps now. Griffin let their eyes meet now, upping the ante for his response.

"Perhaps of her, a little." Griffin shifted a little more at that, allowing his body to cant towards his companion in a way that was full of suggestion. The other didn't miss it, and while there was some genuine surprise in his expression, there was a low thrum of curious heat as well. Perfect, Griffin thought, now it was time to reel him in…

"Excuse me, but I think that's my spot you're lounging in."

Cursing inwardly, Griffin turned to face the blonde woman he'd forgotten would be returning. Apparently by the American's surprised expression, he had forgotten too. That boded well for Griffin's purpose, and making a split second decision, he smiled his most placating smile at the frowning woman and straightened, taking hold of the American's elbow as he did and pulling him along towards the door. The other man stumbled for a second but quickly allowed himself to be led, if out of nothing but bemusement at Griffin's forwardness, even as the Brit turned and offered a parting shot over his shoulder to the furious blonde.

"Sorry love, you left him unattended, so it's my hookup tonight!" Well, well, that might have even been a giggle the other man smothered at Griffin's audacity. Nice to know he could entertain.

"My umbrella…" the Yank began as they crossed the threshold into the spitting rain, but Griffin, still leading at a brisk pace, one hand tight on the other man's elbow, merely shot a "Get a new one!" over his shoulder as he pulled his cooperating hostage into a reasonably dark and ignored alley. Once inside and slightly sheltered by the buildings, he spun the American and pushed him firmly against the damp brick and pinning his there with the warm weight of his body, his hands locked around the taller man's wrists, holding them to the wall on either side of the man's head. This close, Griffin could feel the man's heartbeat and breathing speed slightly, confirming that this little flirtation of theirs at least had some merit, even if they both knew it was just a front. The American smirked at Griffin and let himself relax, the change in his body causing his hips and belly to rub into griffin the slightest bit, and Griffin found himself biting back a hiss at the surprisingly pleasurable contact. In the second it took to re-orient himself, the other man took control for the first time, demanding answers.

"Now that you've interrupted my plans for the evening, do you want to tell me what this is really about?"

"You're name first." The American scowled a bit but answered

"David and yours?" Griffin grinned brightly and without warning, Jumped them both into the lair, David stumbling to his knees without the wall to support his weight anymore. Griffin took advantage, snagging a pair of handcuffs from the desk next to them and snapping one side of the metal restraints onto the wrist he still held, before securing the other to his own wrist. Bound as they were, it would be impossible for David to escape without dragging Griffin with him, and from the look on his face David knew it too.

"It's Griffin, and we, my friend, need to chat."

"You crazy bastard! How did you…" With a snort, Griffin swiftly cut off the rant before it could fully form.

"Please, like you're the only Jumper of Earth." Up until now, Griffin had assumed the man was cocky and arrogant, and while that was probably true to some degree, the completely baffled look on David's face began to paint a different picture. Uneasily, he found himself speaking again. "Wait, you did, didn't you? You have no bloody clue? Have you ever even seen a Paladin before?" When David's baffled look only deepened, Griffin sighed and scrubbed a hand over his face, all pretenses dropping and wishing he'd had more than one beer while he'd had the chance.

"Right then, well that bloody changes everything. Allow me to summarize; Paladins kill Jumpers. I kill Paladins. Class dismissed." David gaped at him, completely slack-jawed and still on his knees, having not found the wherewithal to stand. Griffin had to admit, he made a pretty picture as he was… right, focus. Once again, the other man used his moment of distraction to turn the tide.

"Paladins kill Jumpers plural, so there are a lot of us? Why do the Paladins do it? Is there some kind of resistance or something, or are you just the Lone Ranger? Should I be looking for Tonto?" David had climbed to his feet now, sarcasm brought to full bore. He seemed to be regaining his equilibrium, which please Griffin as the Brit had no desire to mollycoddle.

"Oh, very clever, my friend. Tell me, are you always so reckless? Jump, Jump, Jump, here, there, everywhere?" Griffin emphasized his point with broad hand motions, which naturally pulled David's cuffed wrist along for the ride, and drew the taller man into even closer quarters with the other. Griffin ignored the continued closeness, instead putting his energy into using his words to make a dent in that thick American skull. "The only conceivable reason I can think of that you are still alive and weren't offed at the age of five is that you've got someone covering for you. Tell me, Davy, you got friends in high places?" David had a combined look of annoyance and confusion on his face now.

"Friends in high places? Doubtful. And five years old? What's that got to do with anything?" Griffin blinked, a little surprised.

"Jumper's manifest at five, Einstein, and most don't make it to see six."

"Then I must've been the late bloomer, I made my first Jump at fifteen." Griffin's brows furrowed at that.

"Impossible, no such thing. Mark my words you Jumped at five." David was getting riled, proportionately more so than he should have been for merely being accused of lying. Like a dog with a bone, Griffin latched on to the thought and kept going. "Something happened, didn't it? When you were five? Whether you remember that first Jump or not."

"My mother left, ok? That's what you wanted to hear?" David seethed now, defiant, every line of his body tightened, waiting for the inevitable fight. Griffin didn't give it to him; he was too busy slotting all the little puzzle pieces together to make a very disturbing whole. With a sharp jerk, he whipped around and strode to the other side of the room, David stumbled and cursing behind him.

"Jesus Christ Griffin, what now?" Griffin spun to face the taller man and pointed grimly at his wall of faces, all the painstaking years of accumulated information on the members and movements of the Paladin organization.

"Recognize any of these people?" David glowered at him for a moment longer, before turning a skeptical eye to the wall. It only took a few seconds of skimming the images before he froze, colour leeching from his face so quickly that Griffin was afraid he might pass out from shock. A trembling hand came up and pressed two fingers to one picture, just below the jawline of the woman in the photo.

"Mom." David said in a strangled voice, and Griffin nodded, understanding.

"She's been in it for a while, odds are that's why she left, it was that or kill you. You should probably consider yourself lucky, she's likely been covering for your indiscreet arse since." Griffin was cut off here by David's renewed fury.

"Yeah some mother alright! I was five and she ran off and left me to the mercy of my drunken father. Got the scars to prove it." David took a menacing step forward, but Griffin put a hand to his chest and stopped the advance.

"Manly displays later, I'm here to make you an offer. Work with me, help me take out as many of the bastards as I can, eventually you'll run into her, right? You can get your answers then." David was back to gaping at Griffin.

"I'm a lot of things, but I'm not a killer! And if they're gonna be coming after me anyways, what would I need you for?" Griffin rolled his eyes, exasperated.

"Are you any good in a fight David? Against multiple opponents? Do you know anything about their weapons? About how to avoid them, or lose them once they've caught up to you? Cause they always catch up David. And when they do, people die. Anyone that gets in their way is dead, David. That pretty blonde from the bar? Dead. The teenage boy who fixes your latte every morning? Dead. The nice old lady in your building who makes you cookies for your birthday? Dead. Don't even get me started on what they'll do to your real loved ones to get to you. I know these things David, I've lived it." Griffin's solemn expression added credence to his words, and David felt his stomach sinking.

"Do you have anyone, David? Friends, family? People you've kept in touch with that they could track?" David shook his head.

"My dad and a close friend, but I haven't contacted either since I ran away at fifteen. I fell through the ice on the river; they all think I'm dead. And even though they never found a body, that was eight years ago, I'm presumed dead by now anyways." Griffin nodded again, pleased.

"That's good, if you're legally dead, it gives the Paladins no reason to go sniffing about your old life looking for clues. In fact, there's a good chance they don't even know who you are. You're going under a fake name I take it?" At David's confirmation, Griffin hazarded a grin. "Even better, it will be near impossible to track them down, as long as you stay away. That means forever David, no visits, no calls, nothing. Give the Paladins no reason to connect you to them." David agreed, then froze.

"Griffin… I have a couple of pictures, in my apartment in New York. They're well hidden; I have a room built behind a solid wall, Jumper-access only, but still…"

"First thing tomorrow then, you jump us both into that room and we clean it out, yeah? Then I teach you how to go about this properly." David snorted and shook his head.

"I haven't agreed to anything yet. And like I said, I'm not a killer!" Griffin scoffed again.

"It's them or you Davy, you'll change your tune soon enough." Griffin tried to smile ingratiatingly, but was pretty sure he'd bared a little too much canine for it to be effective, and decided to aim for humour instead. "Like you'd really turn down the opportunity to be my sidekick." David snorted loudly.

"Whatever you say, Kemosabe. We both know you went through all the trouble of hitting on me, Jumping me into this damn cave of yours…"

"It's a lair, in the Sahara."

"Whatever, Griffin. Anyways, you Jump me out here and handcuff me to your wrist to keep me from running away, for what? To warn me? Out of the goodness of your heart? Please, I'll bet you're lonely, mister 'one-man-army.'" Griffin tried not to it it show how close to home those words had hit, instead brushing the statement off with a shrug.

"I'm going for takeout, looks like your coming with."

"You're not going to unlock the handcuffs?" David looked rather perturbed by the idea, and Griffin, wanting a moment alone to clear his head, conceded the point. Fishing the key out of a nearby drawer, he unlocked the cuffs and watched David rub his wrist gently after being freed.

"If you agree, be here when I get back." With that parting shot, Griffin Jumped. David watched him go, then settled down to lie on the couch, flinging one leg over the back. He'd be here alright. Maybe he'd regret this later, regret tossing away his entire life and eight years of freedom on what was essentially a chance meeting in a London bar, but somehow, he felt that this person, this odd man known as 'Griffin, fellow Jumper and Slayer of Paladins,' would make every moment worthwhile. Or maybe they'd just drive each other crazy, but hey, nothing ventured, right?


End file.
